Global cocaine production hits record high as drug use, deaths surge: UN

Global cocaine production reached an all-time high in 2023, driven by expanded coca cultivation and increased yields in Colombia, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed in its annual report released Thursday.

The surge in production is accompanied by rising cocaine use, soaring seizures, and a troubling rise in deaths worldwide.

The report warns of a “new era of global instability” that is fueling organized crime and pushing drug use to unprecedented levels. Cocaine is now the fastest-growing illicit drug market worldwide, with illegal production estimated at 3,708 tons in 2023 — a nearly 34 percent increase from the previous year.

An estimated 25 million people worldwide used cocaine in 2023, up sharply from 17 million in 2013. Consumption remains highest in North America, Western and Central Europe, and South America, with wastewater analysis indicating sharp increases in European cities.

Cocaine seizures in Western and Central Europe have outpaced those in North America for the fifth year running. Globally, cocaine seizures increased by 68 percent between 2019 and 2023, signaling intensified efforts to combat trafficking amid expanding markets.

More broadly, drug consumption remains a critical global health challenge. In 2023, some 316 million people — or 6 percent of the world’s population aged 15 to 64 — used illicit substances other than alcohol and tobacco, up from 5.2 percent in 2013.

Drug use disorders continue to take a devastating toll, causing nearly half a million deaths annually and accounting for 28 million healthy years of life lost worldwide. Yet only one in 12 people suffering from such disorders received any form of treatment in 2023, according to the report.

UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly emphasized the urgent need for increased investment in prevention programs, stronger cross-border cooperation, and judicial efforts to dismantle criminal networks behind the drug trade.

Cocaine use produces short-lived euphoria and bursts of energy but poses serious health risks including heart attacks, strokes, respiratory failure, and neurological damage. Its highly addictive nature often leads users into cycles of binge use and severe withdrawal.

The UNODC report underscores the growing challenges faced by governments and communities worldwide in addressing the expanding cocaine crisis amid broader global instability.